Missile tiedown



March 30, 1965 Filed Sept. 11, 1963 F. L. DAVIS MISSILE TIEDOWN 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. F/PA/VA L. .DA V/S March 30, 1965 F. 1.. DAVIS 3,175,799

MISSILE TIEDOWN Filed Sept. 11, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I mm - INVENTOR F/PAA/K 4, D/) we BY mm nited States i The invention herein disclosed relates to the stowage of missiles on shipboard.

Objects of the invention are to provide tiedown equipment which will firmly and securely hold without indenting or otherwise marring or injuring the shell of the missile, which can be quickly and easily applied and adjusted and be quickly released, which may be adjusted to a wide range of missile sizes and which will be generally practical, safe and efiicient.

Other desirable objects accomplished by the invention and the novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts through which attainment of the objects is elfected are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate a present commercial embodiment of the invention but structure may be modified and changed as regards immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 in the drawings is a view indicating a missile as held on its cradle by this new tiedown.

FIG. 2 is a broken view on a larger scale, showing the tiedown released.

FIG. 3 is a broken plan view of the tiedown buckle in closed position.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same on substantially the plane of line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view on substantially the plane of line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

In FIG. 1 the outline of a missile is indicated at 10, seated in a cradle 11, mounted on a stanchion or other such support 12.

The tiedown comprises a missile encircling band 13 secured at one end by a shackle 14 to the cradle at one side of the missile and adjustably and removably connected to the cradle at the opposite side of the missile by a length adjusting, slack takeup and separable buckle construction 15.

The securing band is a fiat flexible strip of sufiicient width to provide the area of contact to avoid indentation or impairment of the missile shell. It is shown as a flat web of interwoven, reversely coiled, Wire helices 16 affording ample contact area and providing cross ridges 17 which can be gripped by a holding device.

This holding device consists, in the illustration, of a lever 18 in the nature of a claw, having teeth 19 adapted to engage over the ridges of the chain and to enter the interstices in the wire coil links making up the chain.

The length controlling holding claw is shown as pivotally mounted between its ends on a pin 26 supported between the side walls 21 of a channel form base having a bottom wall 22 over which the chain extends.

Length adjustment is attained by having the chain looped about a transverse cross bar 23, secured between the end flanges or walls 21 near the opposite end of the frame, with both runs of the looped chain supported on the bottom wall beneath the claw lever.

A spring 24 coiled about the pivot pin 20 and caught to the frame at one end at 25 and engaged with the extended handle portion 26 of the lever at the opposite end at 27 serves to rock this lever in the holding direction. Pressure on the handle 26 will lift the claw to permit free running adjustment of the chain in either direction.

atent l The length adjusting securing lever 18 is locked in its adjusted position by a hand lever 28 constructed as a cover to overlie and prevent release movement of said holding lever.

This cover forming lever in addition to this locking function is made to serve as a separable connector and as a slack takeup.

This is all accomplished in the illustration by making the side walls 21 of the frame with upwardly open hooks 29, 30 at opposite ends and by providing the cover lever 28 with a cross bar 31 at its lower or inner end separably engageable in the hooks 29 and by providing a spring tensioned detent bar 32 at the opposite end releasably engageable with the hooks 30, said hand lever further having toggle links 33 pivotally connected thereto at 34.

The toggle links 33 are shown as pivotally connected at their inner or lower ends with the cradle at 35.

The pivots 34 for the outer ends of the links are shown as offset from the lever pivot 31 to pass beyond dead center when the hand lever is rocked to the closed position, thus to take up any final slack in the missile embracing web.

The spring detent 32 which secures the cover in closed position locking the band securing lever and locking the toggle in the slack takeup position is shown in the form of a cross pin guided in slots 36 in the side walls of the cover, adapted to enter into engagement with the hooks 30 and releasably held in such engagement by spring 37.

The ends of the releasable detent pin 32 are shown as projecting beyond the sides of the cover for engagement by the fingers to effect ready release of the cover.

The cover serves as a guard over the holding lever and positively prevents any release movement of that lever by engagement with the same when in the closed position, as indicated at 38.

The free end of the adjustable holding band is shown as terminating in a rider 39 slidable over the band so as not to be in the way at any time.

The flat, flexible chain of coiled wire links has desired flexibility and resiliency, light weight and strength and can be made up in lengths adapted to holding missiles ranging from the small to the larger sizes.

While the tiedown may be immediately released by unlatching the cover, the parts are all securely locked when the cover is in the closed position.

The length adjustment is readily efiected when the cover is open and as a final step, any slack in the connections is taken up by the toggle when the cover is rocked into closed position.

What is claimed is:

1. In a missile tiedown means comprising a channel form base having a back wall and upstanding side walls,

said side walls having upwardly faced open hooks at opposite ends of the same,

a cross bar connecting the side walls near one end,

a flat missile encircling web entered in the opposite end of the channel over said back wall and looped about said cross bar,

a web clamping lever pivoted between said side walls over the looped portions of the web and provided with a releasing handle,

a cover forming hand lever having a cross pin at one end detachably engageable in said open hooks at said first mentioned end of the channel and provided with a hand releasable latch at the opposite end releasably engageable with the open hooks at the opposite end of the channel,

said hand lever in its closed position on the channel covering said web clamping lever and releasing handle and holding the same against web releasing movement, and

toggle links provided with anchorage means at one end and pivotally connected in toggle forming relation with said cover forming lever at their opposite end and whereby the toggle connection so formed will be secured when said cover lever is latched in closed relation.

2. The invention according to claim 1 with said web between said side walls and having a claw at one end disposed over the looped portions of the web in the form of a cross ridged flat chain and said clamping lever in the form of a claw toothed to grip cross ridges of said chain.

3. In a missile tiedown means comprising a length of missile encircling cross-ridged flat, flexible interwoven wire coil chain,

a frame carrying a cross bar about which said chain for securing said web in adjusted relation to the frame and provided with a releasing handle at the opposite end,

a cover forming hand lever having a detachable pivotal engagement at one end with one end of said frame,

is looped, a hand releasable latch for securing the opposite free a holding lever pivoted in said frame between its ends end of said hand lever with the opposite end portion and having a claw at one end in securing engagement of the frame, with the looped portion of said chain and a handle said hand lever in its closed position on the frame at the opposite end fOI rocking said lever to release covering said web clamping lever and holding the it fmm homing fingagfiment with the Chain, same against web releasing movement, and a cover on 331d frame m securing engagement with toggle links provided with anchorage means at one szilid holding Y sajid coYer having a detachable end and pivotally connected in toggle forming relapwotal connection Wlth sald frame. at one tion with said cover forming lever at their opposite a i releasable latch the Opposlte end of i ends and whereby the toggle connection so formed i cover for q free i of a will be secured when said cover lever is latched in cover in closed positlon on the frame in securing 1 d 1 th h d I1 engagement with said claim and 5&1 cose re anon securing i e an ever in toggle links having a fixed mounting at one end and holqmg engagement Wlth the pivotally connected in toggle forming relation with said cover at their opposite ends and whereby said References Clted by the Examiner cover when pivotally connected at one end with the frame and latched to the frame at its opposite end with secure the toggle links in the toggle forming relation and will secure the chain holding lever against release.

4. In a missile tiedown means comprising UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/42 Wachter 248-361 X 8/61 Davis 248-361 X CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner, 

1. IN A MISSILE TIEDOWN MEANS COMPRISING A CHANNEL FORM BASE HAVING A BACK WALL AND UPSTANDING SIDE WALLS, SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING UPWARDLY FACED OPEN HOOKS AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SAME, A CROSS BAR CONNECTING THE SIDE WALLS NEAR ONE END, A FLAT MISSILE ENCIRCLING WEB ENTERED IN THE OPPOSITE END OF THE CHANNEL OVER SAID BACK WALL AND LOOPED ABOUT SAID CROSS BAR, A WEB CLAMPING LEVER PIVOTED BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS OVER THE LOOPER PORTIONS OF THE WEB AND PROVIDED WITH A RELEASING HANDLE, A COVER FORMING HAND LEVER HAVING A CROSS PIN AT ONE END DETACHABLY ENGAGEABLE IN SAID OPEN HOOKS AT SAID FIRST MENTIONED END OF THE CHANNEL AND PROVIDED WITH A HAND RELEASABLE LATCH AT THE OPPOSITE END RELEASABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OPEN HOOKS AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE CHANNEL, SAID HAND LEVER IN ITS CLOSED POSITION ON THE CHANNEL COVERING SAID WEB CLAMPING LEVER AND RELEASING HANDLE AND HOLDING THE SAME AGAINST WEN RELEASING MOVEMENT, AND TOGGLE LINKS PROVIDED WITH ANCHORAGE MEANS AT ONE END AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED IN TOGGLE FORMING RELATION WITH SAID COVER FORMING LEVER AT THEIR OPPOSITE END AND WHEREBY THE TOGGLE CONNECTION SO FORMED WILL BE SECURED WHEN SAID COVER LEVER IS LATCHED IN CLOSED RELATION. 